Twenty-five primary healthcare workers have received strategic leadership training from the Africa Health Collaborative, KNUST, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

The Strategic Leadership for Health Systems Transformation in Developing Countries (SLHSTDC) course, aims to equip healthcare workers with the skills needed to drive transformative growth in developing countries.

This is the programme's third year, spearheaded by Dr. Kofi Akohene Mensah, lead of the Health Employment pillar.

At the opening ceremony, course coordinator Prof. Easmon Otupiri from KNUST's School of Public Health emphasized the need for innovative leadership to build robust health systems.

"We need to do things differently and expect different results," he stated. "We need transformational leadership at all levels."

Dean of the School of Public Health, Prof. Peter Agyei Baffour, encouraged participants to utilize available resources to grasp the scope of strategic leadership.

Speaking on behalf of the Food and Drugs Authority CEO, Mrs. Nora Nackie Terlabie, Director of Regional Operations, stressed the importance of a skilled healthcare workforce.

"Strategic leadership must prioritize recruitment, training, and retention of skilled personnel," she said. She also highlighted the need for supportive working conditions, career development, and fair compensation. "Healthcare workers are the backbone of any health system," she added.

Mrs. Terlabie also called for collaboration across all sectors to create efficient and cost-effective health systems.

The Africa Health Collaborative, supported by the Mastercard Foundation, aims to advance healthcare in Africa through its Health Employment, Health Entrepreneurship, and Health Ecosystem pillars.